Apples Baked in Cider Recipe on Food52 (2024)

5 Ingredients or Fewer

by: Sally

November22,2010

4

4 Ratings

  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 1 hour
  • Serves 4

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

Apples baked in cider somehow taste more of themselves. It goes without saying that this is comfort food, easy to put together and pop in the oven just as soon as dinner is underway. If possible, use cider from a farm stand or farmer’s market—it has a deeper, more concentrated flavor than the grocery store brands, which wash out in comparison. The comfort extends to those times when you are not eating dessert for self-improvement purposes, but want something just a little sweet. These won’t do much damage. You can even omit the sugar if you want to feel pure. - Sally —Sally

Test Kitchen Notes

This dead-simple recipe should be in your back pocket all through apple season. Once you reduce some cider and core a few apples it's virtually hands off, and the results can be anything you want them to be. You can eat the sweet, mellowed apples bare -- a more virtuous cousin of the apple pie -- to restore you when you're feeling cold and low. Or you can dress them up with creme fraiche or ice cream, to celebrate the season. Note: We used Galas and found them to be perfect -- for a primer on the best apples for baking, go here. Feel free to omit the butter to make this dessert parve. —The Editors

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 2 cupsapple cider
  • 4 firm cooking apples, like Braeburn, Gala, Fuji or Granny Smith
  • 1/2 teaspoonground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoonunsalted butter (optional)
  • 2 tablespoonsbrown sugar
  • 1 pinchsalt
Directions
  1. Heat the oven to 375° F.
  2. Pour the cider into a small skillet and bring it to a boil. Continue to boil over medium heat until the liquid reduces by slightly less than half. It should be vaguely syrupy, but it will not be too thick. It will take less time in a skillet than in a saucepan because there is more surface evaporation. Either way, don’t just walk off to another room and leave it—you might set off your smoke alarm if you forget it. I speak from experience.
  3. While the cider is reducing, peel the skin from the top third of each apple. Use a melon baller to dig out the apple core, leaving about 1/3-inch of the apple intact at the bottom. Place the apples in a pie pan or baking dish.
  4. Stir the cinnamon, butter and brown sugar into the cider syrup. Pour it into the apple cavities, allowing it to overflow into the baking dish. Bake the apples for 40 to 50 minutes, until they are pleasantly soft but not collapsing. Baste the apples occasionally in the cider syrup if you happen to think of it, and add more cider if the liquid starts to dry out completely. The exact cooking time depends on the variety and size of the apples—some take longer than others.
  5. Serve the apples warm in dessert bowls with the extra syrup spooned over them. If you want to dress them up, drizzle them with some heavy cream, or add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Custard sauce would be even better if you’re feeling ambitious. If any apples are leftover, warm them up for breakfast and eat with yogurt.

Tags:

  • American
  • Apple
  • 5 Ingredients or Fewer
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Christmas
  • Rosh Hashanah
  • Thanksgiving
  • Gluten-Free
  • Vegetarian
  • Dessert
Contest Entries

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • FrugalCat

  • Tobi Jo LeBron

  • Annie

  • Chantal Miller

  • Shalala

I am a home cook,author of a couple of cookbooks and mother. I write for the Boston Globe from time to time. My "kid" just left for college and comes home for cooking lessons. Too bad he was completely uninterested in the process (except when he was little and gingerbread was involved) until now. Without Mom to cook, he's very, very hungry. But it's fun to keep bonding over the stove. I blog about food and life at www.sallypasleyvargas.com

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24 Reviews

FrugalCat March 18, 2020

I made these with Angry Orchard hard cider.

Betsy October 3, 2016

Delicious recipe! I made it once with Jonathans which I've always thought of as especially tasty for baking and they were fabulous, then once more with Granny Smiths and those were possibly even better although they did not hold their shape quite as well. It didn't matter to anyone at the table. Yummy.

Tobi J. January 23, 2016

I followed the recipe as exactly as I could and the apples got kind of leathery rather than getting soft and pie-like. My guess is that the fan in my convection oven dried them out. Next time I will try them on the standard oven setting.

sally S. January 23, 2015

I love this recipe and serve it as dessert to guests who avoid baked goods. Great with a large dollop of unsweetened whipped cream or better yet homemade yogurt. One suggestion is that with the sweeter apples I use only 1 teaspoon of brown. sugar.

Annie October 24, 2014

I made this first thing after going Apple Picking. Amazing!

Chantal M. July 25, 2014

so much yes

Shalala October 7, 2012

This is such a worthy wildcard win--so simple and yet so satisfying. I took Sally's suggestion here and used one of the leftover apples in my steel cut oats the next morning (http://www.food52.com/recipes/19328_steel_cut_oats_with_baked_apple) it was absolutely delicious!

kate-monster December 9, 2011

Made these last night - absolutely fantastic. This recipe will become a staple this holiday season!

TheWimpyVegetarian November 27, 2011

This was just fantastic. I made this with our dinner of roasted pork tonight and it was a big favorite at the table. I'll be making this recipe a lot! Thanks!!!!

Woodside November 20, 2011

It's really hard to go wrong with butter, sugar, cinnamon, and apples! Still, you have to get the combination right, and this does. Fruit, wrapped in deliciousness. A very autumnal dish. Here's a vote for vanilla ice cream as the apt accompaniment; the cold/warm contrast is perfect.

Bevi November 10, 2011

I made these tonight and they are so delicious and EASY! I can easily see a dozen of these in a 13"x9" baking dish, presented in all their glory topped by lapadia's chantilly cream! I plan on making some cognac ice cream, and then gilding the lily with chantilly cream, and calling it a Thanksgiving dessert.

Smallpeace September 30, 2011

I'm always looking for easy ways to make the most of the bounty of apples we harvest from our local orchards this time of year. Coupled with custard or a little creme fraiche will take this simple recipe to the next level. Thanks.

wanderash September 22, 2011

These look terrific! I just bought everything needed (plus a tub of ice cream) and my toddler and I are going to make them this afternoon. Thanks for the inspiration!

Hilarybee September 22, 2011

Yum!!

WinnieAb September 21, 2011

So perfect! I was just thinking about making something like this for my daughter who got braces 2 days ago...I'm going to make them with honey :)

TheWimpyVegetarian September 21, 2011

Honey sounds perfect here!!

TheWimpyVegetarian September 21, 2011

Congratulations Sally! This looks wonderful! As soon as the weather shifts here, I'm on this!

Sally September 21, 2011

Wow, thank you all. What a surprise! I hope these warm apples will comfort you on blustery fall days...

EmilyC September 21, 2011

Congrats on your wildcard win!

ChefJune September 21, 2011

Sounds tasty. Reminds me I want to pull out my recipe for Apples baked with Maple Syrup and Walnuts.

Bevi September 21, 2011

Wonderful!

Apples Baked in Cider Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

How many apples does it take to make 1 gallon of apple cider? ›

How many apples does it take to make a gallon of cider? - It will take just a little over a peck or 36-42 medium apples to make just one gallon of cider.

What is the ratio of apples to cider? ›

As a general rule you will need in the region of 9 kg (20 lbs) of apples to produce 4.5 litres (1 gallon) of juice. Before you start it's a good idea to try and secure a good mix of different apples.

What are the best apples for making apple cider? ›

Most apples can be used in creating flavorful hard cider, but there are a few specific varieties that work best as cider apples. Galas, Gravensteins, Newtown Pippins, Rome Beauties and Winesaps are a few common varieties that can add amazing nuances and depth to hard cider.

How do you cook apples in cider? ›

Method. Melt the caster sugar in a non-stick frying pan until golden brown, then carefully add the apples, cut-side down. Cook for 5 mins to get some colour, then slowly add the cider. Bring to the boil and simmer, turning the apples occasionally, for about 10 mins until golden brown and cooked through.

Is it cheaper to make your own apple cider? ›

A gallon of fresh apple cider at Walmart is about $4/gallon. I used about $2.50 worth of fruit and a few cents worth of spices to get 48oz. If we say it cost a total of $2.75 to make this batch of 48oz, that would come out to $7.15/gallon.

How many pounds of apples do I need for a gallon of cider? ›

Selecting Apples

It takes 15 pounds of apples to produce a gallon of cider.

How many apples does it take to make 8 oz of apple cider? ›

It take about 3-6 medium sized pressed apples to make an 8 oz cup of cider.

What can I add to apple cider to make it taste better? ›

Oranges. Oranges add a sweet, citrus flavor that acts as a perfect complement to the apples and spices. Cinnamon Sticks. Impart the delicious, warm, and cozy flavor of cinnamon into your delicious homemade apple cider recipe.

Do you have to use campden tablets when making cider? ›

Dosage depends on the acidity of the juice: a low acid juice (pH of 3.7 to 3.8) will require 3 campden tablets per gallon of juice; average acid juice (pH of 3.4 to 3.6) will require 2 tablets per gallon; high acid juice (pH below 3) does not require campden tablets.

Can you make cider from supermarket apples? ›

Apple Cider is fairly easy to make from fresh apples.

Please note you'll also need the right apples (supermarket varieties are not suitable).

Can you use rotten apples to make cider? ›

It is important that during preparation, any rotten apples are removed. Using these in your cider will mean your brew is undrinkable, not to mention the foul smell!

Is Honeycrisp good for cider? ›

The apple varieties that we generally find in stores and that are used for the making of modern-style ciders include McIntosh, Golden and Red Delicious, Goldrush, Honeycrisp, Cortland, Idared, Jonagold, Granny Smith, Gala, and Fuji.

Should you wash apples before making cider? ›

In order to remove any unwanted muck, insects and harmful bacteria that could potentially harm and affect the cider, the apples should be washed thoroughly. Washing apples may be best done outside using a large bucket, tub, anything big enough to hold your apples. Fill your vessel with water soak and wash the apples.

How long to macerate apples for cider? ›

However, when making cider, it is preferable to leave them to mature. The principle is a simple one. Instead of pressing the apples immediately after grinding them, store them in a vat for 6 to 10 hours. If you are pressing at the same time, you can even sprinkle the juice from the press over the ground apples.

How ripe should apples be for cider? ›

Cut a sample apple in half and check the colour of the pips. Ripe apples should have black and glossy pips, while pale or brown ones need more time on the tree. Only apples with black pips are suitable for juicing and cider making. Hold a large apple in your hand and gently twist it off the stem.

How many bushels of apples does it take to make 1 gallon of cider? ›

A gallon of apple cider is made from approximately one-third of a bushel, or 36 apples.

How many gallons of apple cider from a bushel of apples? ›

Good, firm cider apples can yield as much as 2.5-3 gallons of juice per bushel.

How many apples do I need for 5 gallons of cider? ›

In my experience, a decent yield is 100 lbs of apples to make 5 gallons.

How many apples does it take to make a half a gallon of apple cider? ›

You need a good amount of apples to make cider. Approximately 30 to 40 apples will yield one gallon of cider. The apples need to be as ripe as possible. It's OK to use less-than-perfect apples on the ground at any orchard or old apple farm.

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